


"Home"

by Timeless_fandoms



Category: When Calls the Heart (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:54:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26097460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Timeless_fandoms/pseuds/Timeless_fandoms
Summary: (Oneshot Version. Full story is in works)This story takes place right where season 7 ended. (so Season 7 Spoilers obviously)What happens right after Elizabeth sees that Nathan is okay and not the person who was shot in the season finale.
Relationships: Elizabeth Thornton and Lucas Bouchard, Lucabeth, Lucas and Elizabeth
Kudos: 10





	"Home"

•Elizabeth’s POV•

I ran to him. Nathan. He was there and he was alive. I couldn’t hold in my emotions and I ran to him.

As I pulled away and collected myself silently, I saw Allie running full force towards her uncle out of the side of my eye so I broke eye contact with Nathan and left him to be with his niece. What if that had been him? Poor Allie.

I know what it felt like to lose the person closest to you from mountie business. Jack lived and died honoring that red surge and protecting us. With everything in me I missed Jack. I missed his kisses and the way he picked on me. I missed having someone to talk to when I woke up in the middle of the night when I had a lesson idea or just needed some loving words.

My mind started to spiral and I could feel all my emotions finally coming to the surface. As I felt a tear make a pathway down my cheek, I knew I needed to break away from the crowds and quick. I ran past a couple people who tried to talk to me. Luckily I don’t think anyone noticed my emotions. I ran to the library knowing I could hide there and as I reached the door the tears started to fall as I opened it. I ran in and quickly locked the door, went to the furthest corner of the room.

I could hardly breath without it being labored. I felt dizzy and couldn’t think straight. The only thing I could think about was Jack. He was gone. He would never know his son. I thought about Nathan. He wanted me to go out to dinner with him. I couldn’t do that. I had already lost Jack. I don’t think I could ever be with another mountie. Jack died wearing that red surge. I had a son now and I couldn’t put both of us in that constant state of fear every day. Not again.

I still couldn’t breathe properly and I had so many sobs racking my body. I curled up with my dress draped over my feet, my elbows on my knees, and my hands on my head.

Suddenly, I heard a knock on the door. It was probably one of the kids. I couldn’t physically move or even react. They would soon realize it was locked. I continuing to shake and sob. I can’t move. I just hope whoever it is realizes I need a minute alone.

“Elizabeth...? Are you okay” I hear in a comforting and soft voice. Someone was in here. I never heard them come in. But how? I locked the door, I thought. I look up, gasping for air slightly, and I am met but the deepest golden brown eyes and watch them fill with worry, concern, and care. It’s Lucas. Great, I think to myself. Just great. Of course it was him... He seems to sense when I need someone to talk to. And he is the only other one to have a key to the library.

“Hey, I saw you run over here....” he says nervously rubbing he back of his neck “... are you okay?” He touches my arm.

“I can’t focus or get a steady breath...” I say but most of it is covered by panic. Next thing I know Lucas takes my hand in his and places it on his chest with his covering it. I feel his rough and calloused hands hold mine gently against his chest. I feel his heartbeat and the soft fabric of his shirt under my hands.

“Can you feel my heartbeat? My breathing? Just try to relax and focus on my breathing” he says as he continues to hold my hand to him. I can feel his chest rise and fall. His heart beats to the most calming rhythm compared to mine feeling like it was beating in my stomach.

After what felt like a few minutes, I finally was able to look up at Lucas and he smiles sheepishly. In the short bit of time I have known him, I have noticed that when he’s nervous or shy he does this thing where he looks down and back up shyly. He does this twice until his eyes meet mine. I still had tears falling down my face but I did the only thing I could do with my lack of strength. I fall into his embrace and hug him.

“Thank you” I say to him softly. “How did you know how to do that?” I ask as I sit up and go back to myself a little more.

“My brother used to have moments like that when we were growing up. That was the only thing that would help.” He smiles looking down again. “Are you okay? Do you need someone to talk to about this?”

I think about it. Prepared to tell him no when I catch myself already talking “it’s just when I heard that someone was shot and it might be Nathan it brought to surface everything I felt when I lost jack. I couldn’t handle it. I never want to feel that pain again and the idea of losing another person close to me caused me to do... that.”

I couldn’t stop shaking. Next thing I know Lucas reaches up and wipes a tear from my cheek and holds my face for slightly longer than it took to wipe the tear away. I look up and his eyes meet mine and I feel like I could get lost in them forever.

“I just really want to go home and get some rest.” I say standing up but immediately start to get unsteady and he grabs ahold of my forearms with the most gentle but sturdy grasp.

Our eyes meet. Mine full of shyness and embarrassment, his full of compassion and understanding. I can’t seem to pull myself away and before I can get a grip on reality, Lucas leans forward and ever so slightly places a kiss on my cheek. It’s soft and vulnerable. I feel like all the air has been taken out of me, this time in a good way.

Without missing a beat Lucas looks at me, holding out his arm for me to loop mine into “well then let’s get you home. Would you like an escort, Mrs. Thornton?” He said looking down shyly again but this time with the hint of a smirk when he looked back up.

I loop my arm into his and smile up at him “that would most appreciated, Mr. Bouchard” I say in the same tone.

Rosemary and Lee are watching Jack tonight thanks to me being behind on grading before all of this and the rest of the town must have already gone home from the traumatic couple of days we have had.

We walk back to the house in a comfortable silence. I was hyperactively aware of the place on my cheek where Lucas planted that kiss. It still tingled and I caught myself glancing at his lips when I would talk to him. Was I hoping for another one? What was this? Was this really happening?

We arrived to the small stoop in front of my door. “Thank you so much Lucas. For everything. It means more than you could ever know” I say to him

“Anything for you, Elizabeth.” He says with a smile that was more confident that I had seen him all night.

The next thing I know I can’t talk my heart down from taking control. I reach up and touch his face with the palm of my hand. I have my other hand on his chest, feeling his steady heartbeat from earlier speeding up. Then, I kissed him.

His lips were soft and gentle to mine. I could feel the tense atmosphere that surrounded us moments earlier fade away. The kiss didn’t deepen but the way he kissed me back gave me a feeling that I didn’t realize I hadn’t truly felt since I heard news of Jack’s death. I felt at home.

As we part the kiss, he looks at me and speaks up. “What do you say, after you rest up a little you come over to the saloon and I’ll make sure to have a breakfast ready for you?”

“You don’t have to do that, Lucas. Tonight was perfect.” I say but he interjects “I insist, Elizabeth. You deserve it. If not maybe you would at least fancy taking a walk or going on another picnic with me soon...?”

I blush “a walk” I think. Memories of jack and I come flooding back but this time I’m not sad. I feel comfort. Like he’s telling me that this is okay. It’s okay to feel this about someone again. Jack will always have a place in my heart and in our son but this was okay. This could be a good thing.

“I would love to take a walk with you, Lucas. Maybe you can share some new stories.” I say with a smile

“Til tomorrow” Lucas says with a sight glance to the ground. He walks down the street and I head into the house. As I shut the door, lean against the inside, and I smile. This could be good for me, I thought.

I have a son and friends I adore like family who were all safe. And I had a new possibility ahead of me. A possibility of new love, of feeling at home for the first time in years!


End file.
